FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - From tornadoes to snowstorms, extreme weather across the country has led to some big impacts on air travel, as passengers at South Florida airports find themselves forced to wait days to fly home.
All day Tuesday, 7News cameras captured long, slow-moving lines at Delta Air Lines’ check-in counter at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
A passenger in line shared his worries about the long lines to 7News.
“Yeah, of course, ’cause once you check in here, you gotta get in that line, so you might miss your flight,” he said.
Most of these passengers were trying to rebook their flights that were canceled Monday due to the wild weather.
“Pretty brutal, a lot of waiting,” said traveler Mike Vero. “My flight was supposed to leave at 3:30 on Sunday, and then Monday, like 6 a.m., it kept getting delayed, delayed, delayed and canceled. They had a backup flight at 7:30, canceled. Now they’re saying the earliest [available flight] is Thursday; that’s two days from now.”
FlightAware reported that on Monday alone, nearly 4,800 flights were canceled nationwide. On top of the stormy conditions, an increase in spring break travelers and the partial government shutdown led to a lot of frustrated travelers trying to reach their destinations.
As travelers entered the terminals at FLL, they were met with a bright sign that reads: Airport Advisory. Spring travel activity, high passenger volumes/busier roadways at FLL. Thank you for your patience.”
“There’s nowhere to sleep, there’s – the vending machine is empty. There’s a water fountain, and that’s it,” said Vero. “People are sleeping everywhere, sleeping lined up, like, in the bathroom hallway. It was crazy.”
Vero is one of many travelers stuck at FLL. The information boards show the extensive delays and cancellations happening at South Florida airports.
Another traveler, Alajah Buchanan plans to head back to Michigan after spending spring break in Texas.
“I came here, it was the 16th, it was a layover, and I’ve been stuck here since,” said Buchanan. “And they booked the flight for me for the 19th, it’s the 17th. Why am I stuck here?”
While she’s stuck at FLL, she’s been trying to change her luck.
“I’ve been going back into the line to see if there’s any more available flights earlier than the 19th, which I got one,” she said.
Michigan resident Tracy Brown and her family ended a cruise vacation early Monday morning and are still waiting to board a flight at FLL.
“Just wish us luck,” she said. “Now it’s Thursday at 6.”
Air travel has been impacted across much of the U.S. because of severe weather weaking havoc from the Midwest to the East Coast.
The weather ranged from tornadoes in the South wreaking havoc and uprooting trees, and snow blanketing the Midwest.
“Jumped up to see what was going on, that’s when I saw the pallet from the pallet company, and it was literally blown up into the air,” said a man who saw severe weather firsthand.
“But I didn’t expect it to be as bad as they said it was going to be,” said a woman.
“I was off today, and this was my birthday present, this blizzard,” said a man who was snowed out in the Midwest.
That, combined with staffing issues with the Transportation Security Administration due to a partial government shutdown, has made spring break travel across the U.S. a bit of a nightmare.
“If this continues, it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we might have to quite literally shut down airports,” said Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl in a Fox News interview.
While a prolonged shutdown could impact smaller airports, larger ones like FLL and Miami International Airport have not been targeted for closures.
As of late Tuesday evening, FLL reported 103 cancellations and 384 delays, and MIA reported 49 cancellations and 429 delays.
“We changed our flights to Thursday, so hopefully those actually go this time,” said Minnesota resident Alec Fisher.
With many area hotels booked and rental car prices sky high, passengers have been left frustrated and fatigued.
“I’m tired, I’m exhausted, but I know that this too shall end,” said Brown. “My husband said, ‘This is the last time.'”
Fisher said he is trying to treat this as an extended vacation.
“We got like 12 inches of snow, It’s horrible. I do not want to go back to it, but I need to,” he said.
“I’m going to stay positive, because what can I do about it? Things happen,” said Brown.
Some stranded travelers told 7News they tried booking hotels nearby, but they said prices are exorbitant. One woman said she’s considering taking a train home to Canada.
On Tuesday evening, more than 1,100 U.S. flights on Tuesday had been cancelled and about 7,300 others had been delayed, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
It is recommended to plan ahead, get to the airport early, and check with airlines before heading to the airport.
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